Drop the PuckThe Ohio State men’s hockey team (8-11-5, 7-6-3-1 CCHA) opens a four-game homestand with a CCHA series against Lake Superior State (13-12-1, 8-9-1-1 CCHA) this weekend. The teams will meet at 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday, marking Ohio State’s first home matches since Dec. 14-15.

Follow Along For both games against Lake Superior State, Ohio State/IMG Radio will carry the action over the air in Columbus on 1460 AM and live online on ESPNColumbus.com, with Herb Howenstine and former Buckeye John Mowat calling the action.

The games will be streamed online by BTDN on Buckeye Vision, available through a paid subscription package. Brad Comer and Matthew McGreevy will call the action Friday, with Matt Kraus joining Comer Saturday.

As always, links for audio, video and Game Tracker live stats are on the Buckeye Hockey Gameday page (go.osu.edu/mhkygameday) and the men’s hockey schedule page on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. In-game updates are also on Twitter: @OhioState_MHKY.

Tickets! Get your Tickets!Single-game tickets for the 2012-13 Ohio State men’s hockey home schedule can be purchased at the arena on game night. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com, in person at any Ticketmaster outlet or at the Ohio State University ticket office in the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Fans interested in a four or eight game mini plan package or group tickets should contact the athletic ticket sales staff for details. Account executives can be reached by phone (614-292-0043) or email (athleticsales@osu.edu).

Again this year, all Ohio State students receive free admission to regular-season home games with a valid BuckID.

Wear Your Youth Hockey Jersey, Receive Free Admission and Meet the Buckeyes Throughout the season, all hockey players eighth grade and under who wear their jerseys to hockey games at Value City Arena receive free admission (with a ticket-purchasing parent). Special this Saturday, all youth wearing their jerseys are invited to a tour of the lockerrroom following the game. Youth should meet at the top of section 104 after the game.

Bring a BearThe Saturday night game next week vs. Notre Dame (Feb. 2) is the third annual Teddy Bear Toss in Value City Arena. Fans are encouraged to bring a new stuffed animal to toss on the ice after the Buckeyes score their first goal. The animals will be collected and donated to Ronald McDonald House. More than 500 animals were collected from the inaugural event and last year more than 800 were donated.

Buckeye BriefThe Buckeyes are 8-11-5 overall and 7-6-3-1 in CCHA play. The team is scoring 1.96 goals a game and allowing 2.17 goals per game to rank ninth in the nation in team defense. The team is 10-for-100 (.100) on the power play and 77-for-90 (.856) on the penalty kill.

Sophomore Ryan Dzingel is first with 20 points and nine goals. Classmate Tanner Fritz leads the team with 13 assists and is second with 17 points. Max McCormick is second with eight goals and third with 13 points. Senior goalie Brady Hjelle has played in 18 games, starting 17, and has a 1.61 goals-against average and .945 save percentage to rank sixth and third in the NCAA, respectively. Freshman Collin Olson has played seven games and has a 3.08 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.

Buckeyes vs. LakersThe Buckeyes trail the all-time series with Lake Superior State, 58-74-11, but lead in Columbus, 31-28-6. The squads last met in Columbus Dec. 2-3, 2011, with Ohio State posting two wins (5-2, 2-1). Earlier this season, the teams met in Sault Ste. Marie Nov. 23-24, splitting the series with Ohio State posting a 4-1 win in the opener and the Lakers capturing game two, 3-2.

Laker LookLake Superior State is 13-12-1 this season and stands in sixth place in the CCHA with an 8-9-1-1 ledger. The team is averaging 2.38 goals a game and allowing 2.42 a contest. The power play has convdrted 19-of-103 chances (.184) and the penalty kill is 102-for-121 (.843). The team split a series at home vs. Michigan last weekend (L 4-6, W 3-2). The loss to the Wolverines ended a six-game unbeaten streak for the Lakers.

Domenic Monardo is first on the team with 12 goals and 22 points and is second with 10 assists. Nick McParland has a team-best 13 assists and is second with 19 points. Chris Ciotti is second with eight goals and ranks third with 14 points this year. In net, Kevin Murdock is 8-7-0, with a 1.96 goals-against average and .942 save percentage. Kevin Kapalka has a 5-5-1 ledger and .914 save percentage.

Earlier This Season - Buckeyes Split Series at Lake Superior StateOhio State split a series at Lake Superior State in November, posting a 4-1 win in the opener before suffering a 3-2 loss in the series finale.

Game One: Points from 10 Buckeyes, along with 31 saves from senior goalie Brady Hjelle, led Ohio State to a 4-1 victory at Lake Superior State Nov. 23 in Taffy Abel Arena. Ohio State led 1-0 after the first on a Matt Johnson goal just 2:07 into the game and sophomore classmate Ryan Dzingel scored in the second for a 2-0 Buckeye advantage after 40 minutes. Sophomore Max McCormick extended the lead to 3-0 in the third before the Lakers broke up the shutout with a power play goal at 16:22. Junior Chris Crane sealed the win for the Buckeyes with an empty-net goal. Sophomore Tanner Fritz was the lone Buckeye with multiple points, posting two assists for the second-consecutive game. Ohio State was outshot, 32-28, in the contest.

Game 2: The Buckeyes’ rally fell short in a 3-2 loss to the Lakers Nov. 24 to close the series. Ohio State fell behind 2-0 early in the first period before drawing within a goal on a Darik Angeli tally 55 seconds into the second period. An early LSSU goal in the third period extended the lead to 3-1 and served as the eventual gamewinner. Ohio State was able to again draw within one when sophomore Ryan Dzingel scored on the power play with the Buckeye net empty with less than three minutes remaining, but the Lakers held the Buckeyes off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Buckeye sophomore Tanner Fritz had two assists for the third-consecutive game.

Last Time Out - Ohio State Drops Series at Northern MichiganFriday: After a scoreless first period, the Wildcats scored twice midway through the second for a 2-0 advantage. Buckeye freshman Anthony Greco tallied less than two minutes later to cut the lead in half. Northern Michigan regained its two-goal lead early in the third and Ohio State again responded when Tanner Fritz scored less than a minute later. Ohio State, which did not take a penalty in the game, could get no closer and the Wildcats clinched the win with an empty-net goal. The squad was not assessed a penalty in the game, the first time an Ohio State squad did not spend time in the penalty box since January 2002 and just the second time since the 1993-94 campaign.

Saturday: Saturday night in Marquette, the Wildcats scored early in the first period and the 1-0 lead held until Buckeye sophomore Max McCormick scored on the power play in the final two minutes of the second period. Northern Michigan scored twice in the first five minutes of the third period, with goals at 2:26 and 4:45, for a 3-1 advantage. Ohio State drew within one on junior Curtis Gedig’s power play goal at 13:48 but Ohio State could get no closer. The Buckeyes outshot the Wildcats, 32-21, in the contest. Sophomore Ryan Dzingel had two assists to lead Ohio State with two points.

Buckeye This and That • Last Friday night vs. Northern Michigan, Ohio State had no penalties assessed for the first time since Jan. 11, 2002 vs. Lake Superior State in Columbus (a 1-1 OT tie in which the Lakers also were not whistled for a penalty). It was the second time Ohio State had no penalties since at least the 1993-94 season. The squad is averaging 11.9 penalty minutes a game, ranking 43rd nationally. • Ohio State has not allowed a power play goal in its last four games (11-for-11) and has held its opponents scoreless in nine of the last 13 games (34-for-38, .895). On the year the team is 77-for-90 (.856), ranking 16th in the NCAA. The squad has not allowed more than one power play goal since giving up five in the season-opening series at Minnesota Duluth (three in the first game, two in the second game). • For the first time since the start of the season in the year, Ohio State has a healthy roster. The squad returned three players Friday night at Northern Michigan, with Greco back after missing 15 games, senior Devon Krogh back after missing the last four games after an appendectomy over the December break and freshman Tyler Lundey returning from illness that kept him out of the previous two games. • After opening the second half of the year with six-consecutive games away from Columbus, is playing on its home ice for the first time since Dec. 14-15 vs. Miami this weekend. Eight of the Buckeyes’ final 12 regular-season games will be at home. • The Buckeyes were 2-for-5 on the power play Saturday vs. Northern Michigan They were the team’s first power play goals since Dec. 7 vs. Robert Morris and the first game with multiple power-play tallies since Nov. 17 vs. Northern Michigan. • Ohio State is ninth in the NCAA in team defense, allowing 2.17 goals a game. The team has held opponents to one goal or less in seven of the last 16 games. • In scoring among sophomores nationally, Ohio State’s class ranks tied for seventh, averaging 2.75 points a game, combining for 66 points. Sophomores are the Top 3 point scorers on the squad this year. • Ohio State’s two losses at Northern Michigan marked the first time this year the squad did not earn any CCHA points in a two-game series. • The Buckeyes have been held to two or fewer goals in eight of their last 10 games. Ohio State is averaging 1.96 goals a game on the year. • Every Buckeye skater has at least one point this year. Fourteen Buckeyes have at least one goal and 23 have at least one assist.

Between the Pipes • Goalie Brady Hjelle, who has played in 18 games and started 17, is sixth in the NCAA and second in the CCHA with a 1.61 goals-against average. He is third in the NCAA (and second in the league) with a .945 save percentage. The senior has started 12 of the last 13 games and played in 13 of the last 14. He has allowed more than one goal just seven times this year. • Hjelle’s three shutouts are tied for fourth in the NCAA and first in the CCHA. • In CCHA play, Hjelle has a league-best 1.24 goals-against average, .956 save percentage and three shutouts. It is the best in-conference goals-against and save percentage mark among players across all league. • Hjelle has eight games with 30 or more saves, including a career-high 38 in a 3-1 win at Ferris State Jan. 11 and then-career-high tying 37 vs. Robert Morris Dec. 8. • Hjelle has been the first or second star in nine of 12 league starts, with a league-best seven first star honors and 41 Perani Cup points. • Hjelle is a three-time CCHA Goaltender of the Week and was the CCHA Goaltender of the Month for November. In November, he had a league-best .62 goals-against average and .978 save percentage, playing in five games (with four starts) and did not allow more than one goal in any appearance. He allowed three total goals, with two of the three on the power play. • Freshman Collin Olson is the first Buckeye true freshman to see game time between the pipes for Ohio State since Cal Heeter in 2008-09. He started vs. Penn State Dec. 29, his first game action since Nov. 24 at Lake Superior State.

Up Front • Ryan Dzingel had three assists in the series at Northern Michigan, with two Saturday for his third two-assist game of the year. He leads the Buckeyes with 20 points, ranking first with nine goals and second with 11 assists. • Sophomore Tanner Fritz is on a four-game point streak, with 1-3-4 totals in the stretch. He is second on the team with 17 points, with a team-high 13 assists. He scored at Northern Michigan Friday and had an assist Saturday. Fritz is second in the NCAA with nine third-period assists this season. •Sophomore Max McCormick is second on the team with eight goals and third with 13 points. He has a point in three of the last four games, with a goal Saturday at Northern Michigan. • In CCHA games only, Dzingel and Fritz are tied for fifth with 15 points each, with Fritz third with 12 assists and Dzingel tied for sixth with 10. McCormick is tied for 12th with six goals. • In all games, Dzingel is tied for sixth in scoring among CCHA players. Dzingel is tied for eighth in goals, with McCormick tied for 13th. Fritz is sixth (tied) in assists and tied for 17th in points. • Freshman Tyler Lundey has eight points, with three goals and five assists, to lead the Buckeye rookies in scoring. He is tied for 14th in the CCHA in scoring among freshmen overall.

On the Blueline • As a team, Ohio State has 352 recorded blocked shots, while its opponents have blocked 292 of its attempts. Justin DaSilva is first with 44 blocked shots, followed by Al McLean and Curtis Gedig with 38 and Brandon Martell with 35. Every Buckeye skater has at least one blocked shot this year. (Individual blocks were not recorded in the series at Minnesota Duluth). • Freshman Craig Dalrymple leads the Buckeye defensemen in scoring with six points, on a goal and five assists. He is tied for seventh in scoring among CCHA rookie blueliners (and tied for 18th among all CCHA freshmen). • Freshman defenseman Sam Jardine had an assist in each game at Northern Michigan. He has a helper in three of four games since returning from injury. Jardine has four helpers this year, playing in 12 games. • Junior Curtis Gedig’s goal Saturday at Northern Michiganwas his first of the year and third of his career. His last tally was Dec. 30, 2011 vs. Robert Morris.